Chelsea Transfer News: Diego Costa Reportedly to Hand in Request to Leave Blues

Diego Costa is reportedly set to hand in a transfer request at Chelsea to force his exit from the club after manager Antonio Conte's revelation earlier in the summer that he no longer wants the striker at Stamford Bridge.

According to Spanish football writer David Cartlidge, the 28-year-old will also demand he is only sold to former club Atletico Madrid, who are serving a FIFA-imposed registration ban until January:

AC Milan were in the driving seat to sign Costa on loan for next season. According to Corriere dello Sport (via MailOnline's Will Griffee), the Serie A giants wanted to snap up the Spain international and were offering him game time ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. 

However, Costa is seemingly desperate to return to Atleti, and manager Diego Simeone recently told the club's board he wants the forward, whom Chelsea value at around £50 million, per Simon Johnson in the Evening Standard.

Costa was the Blues' top scorer as they won the Premier League title last term, and he has been consistently prolific since moving to Stamford Bridge from Atletico for £32 million in 2014, per WhoScored.com:

He has no future at the west London club, though, as he was explicitly told by Conte in June that he is not in his plans, per BBC Sport.

Given Atletico's ban, should Costa return to the club, he would have to be prepared to sit out until January.

That could affect his chances of being called up to the Spain squad for next summer's World Cup, but it seems Costa has no interest in going anywhere else.